


An Arrangement

by felicityollies



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Angst, Arranged Marriage, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Love/Hate, Minor Character Death, Modern Royalty, Royalty, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-20
Updated: 2018-04-12
Packaged: 2018-04-16 08:30:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 18,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4618551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/felicityollies/pseuds/felicityollies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Felicity is a young princess betrothed to Oliver Queen, a prince from a neighboring land. They are set to marry and combine their land and kingdoms, but Felicity is not on board. Oliver happens to have a certain reputation that she is not fond of.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Impressions are Key

**Author's Note:**

  * For [catandmouse10](https://archiveofourown.org/users/catandmouse10/gifts).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> original prompt: I wish you would write a fic where Oliver and Felicity are arranged to be married.

Felicity sat in the back of a long limo. She had just arrived from her home in Vega and was now traversing the streets of the Kingdom of Starling. Both were fairly small places still ruled by royalty, but they planned on combining land and families. The way they were doing this was by marriage. She was none too enthused about this. No, she was young, freshly turned 18, and she did not want to be involved in this arranged marriage. She’d never even met any of the Queen family, but she had heard rumors about the prince that made her stomach churn. It wasn't even normal for arranged marriages to still happen, at least she thought so. Her kingdom did need help, they were running out of money quickly, and this could probably save them from debt. Still, she didn’t want to be a part of this.

The car stopped in front of a large gate. They had to wait a moment for someone to open it up so that they could drive through to the large castle. The gate out front used modern technology, she thought that it almost ruined the look of the ancient building it guarded, but maybe she was just feeling a little cynical that day. The limo stopped again in front of the massive doors. A few servants stood waiting for them. Two opened the doors of the vehicle for her and her mother; the king was back home too ill to travel.

“Stand up straight, Felicity.” Her mother muttered quietly to her as they walked inside.

Sighing, she smoothed out her dress, but straightened out her posture. She did want to make a good impression, but that rarely actually happened for her. Felicity was of royal blood and tried her best to be eloquent when speaking, but more often than not she rambled endlessly. Maybe it would work in her favor this time and she would annoy the prince enough that he wouldn’t want to marry her. It was a long shot, but she could hope.

She walked into the castle and glanced around. It was elegant with a few modern touches here and there. The colors were mostly neutral with a few hints of rich greens. She could tell that a lot of the castle had been changed to suit a modern family, but there were things like the throne room that had stayed the same. That was the room they were brought to first. The royal family was waiting for them there. The king and the queen along with their two children. The women curtsied and the men bowed to show their respect for one another.

Oliver stepped forward and gently took Felicity’s hand, “You must be the gorgeous princess I have heard so much about," he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the top of her hand, “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

She could plainly see that he was attractive and seemingly charming, but she wasn’t impressed. “Likewise,” she managed to keep it short for once. Pulling back her hand, she interlaced her fingers in front of her. She scanned his face as he did the same to her. Their families quietly crept out of the room and left them to talk. She let out a sigh and looked away from him. Yes, he was cute, hot even, but she didn’t think she would ever want to be with him. A sharp jawline, scruff, and pretty blue eyes do not make up for the situation.

Oliver rubbed the back of his neck and seemed to try to find words to say to her. Felicity shook her head already annoyed with the awkwardness. If they couldn’t talk to each other how were they going to get married? How were they going to have sex and produce a new heir? This was a mess.

“Look, I don’t want you to strain yourself trying to find something for us to talk about," she started. “I don’t want to marry you and I highly doubt you want to marry me so why don’t we treat this for what it is? A business deal. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

“Woah… you don’t want to marry me?” he motioned up and down at himself.

Felicity frowned wondering why he was offended. “No, I don’t," she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“Why?” he was practically scowling now.

“Because, I want to choose who I marry and I don’t want my husband to be some playboy that screws anything with a pulse," she snapped.

“Hey! Those rumors aren’t true," the twenty-two year old now appeared offended and hurt.

Her expression softened a little. She wasn’t expecting him to be wounded by her words, but still it could have been a façade. “I don’t believe you," she muttered.

“Why not? I don’t have any reason to lie to you," he gave a heavy sigh, “I might have partied a lot in the past, but I’m not that guy.”

She was feeling like a jerk for assuming everything she had heard on the grapevine was truth. 

Sighing again, she let her arms fall away to her side, “I… I’m sorry," she still didn’t think that she was going to learn to like him, but at least he wasn’t a manwhore. Well, maybe he wasn’t. She didn’t know if she fully believed him, but he did seem sincere.

“Thanks,” Oliver spoke softly.

She nodded slowly, “Sure," she took a deep breath, “Maybe, you should show me the bedroom. I just want to see it. I don’t want to do anything. Not that I’m saying you want to do anything with me and I already apologized for thinking that you slept with everyone. So, I wasn’t really thinking that you would want to. I’m going to be quiet now.”

Felicity almost made it without looking like a fool in front of her future husband. 

He wasn’t rolling his eyes at her and brushing off her rambling as stupidity. No, he was laughing. He took a deep breath and shook his head, “When you’re not trying to be all….tough and mean, you’re actually pretty cute," he said nodding towards the entrance of the throne room. “But I can show you where your room is. You’ll be across from my room until the wedding.”

She nodded and followed him into the corridor. Still, she was worried about all of this, though, his reaction to her rambles definitely made her like him just a tiny bit more than when she had arrived. Maybe she could learn to deal with this and do the right thing for her kingdom and family. That was a very big maybe.


	2. This is (not) my Idea

It had only been an hour or so since Felicity had arrived in the kingdom of Starling. She sat in her new, though temporary, bed and let out a sigh. This was all so hard to deal with. She still didn’t trust Oliver; she didn’t think she was going to either. He said that he wasn’t how the media portrayed him, but even if that was true why was there so much evidence to back up the so called tabloid bologna? She had done some research before coming there; she’d been curious of course since she’d known about this arrangement for a while. And she didn’t doubt that Oliver had done some snooping of his own too.

“You appear very somber.”

Felicity squeaked not having expected to hear anyone speak.

“I did not mean to frighten you, M’lady,” it was Nyssa.

Felicity pressed her hand to her chest and tried to catch her breath. “You know I don’t want to be here,” she finally said.

“I do,” Nyssa rest her hand on the hilt of her sword. “I understand. I do not think that Queen boy is what he says he is.”

“Eavesdropping?” Felicity raised a brow.

“Hardly,” Nyssa sounded as if she was mildly offended at the idea, “I must keep a close watch on you. I am your bodyguard.”

Felicity nodded. It was true and although Nyssa had been at her side for years she couldn’t get used to how damn quiet she was. She moved through shadows with such grace it was almost inhuman. She’d voiced this opinion to her once before, but Nyssa only laughed.

“I agree, though,” Felicity said, shaking her head, “It felt like he was lying to me. His tone was sincere, but…. I don’t trust it.”

She had felt like a complete jerk when it seemed like she had hurt his feelings; she didn’t like that. What if he was lying and manipulating her with that wounded puppy expression? She was going to punch him in the mouth if he was.

“I hate this,” Felicity groaned, “What if he is nice? But what if he’s just a good liar?”

“You should trust your instincts,” Nyssa replied flatly.

“Maybe,” she sighed and flopped back flat on her bed.

“I could have him followed if you wish,” Nyssa spoke as if it weren’t a big deal.

“Spy on my fiancé?” she paused and made a face, “That word leaves a disgusting taste in my mouth.”

“It was only a suggestion,” The other woman shrugged.

Felicity shook her head, “I think I’m going to take a walk before dinner.”

She pushed herself up and slid off the bed, smoothing out the dress she still wore. Though, she hated it and wished that she was in one of her favorite skirts and blouses. At least it wasn’t a huge ball gown or something. She could barely walk in those.

Walking out of her room and into the corridor, she idly glanced at the closed door across from her. It was Oliver’s room; she assumed he was still in there. She shook her head and started down the hallway the opposite way she had originally come. She knew that Nyssa would be close behind, which was good because she really didn’t want to get lost in this castle.

Felicity glanced around at everything. There was so much expensive art in the form of paintings and statues. The Queen family was extremely well off. They had a thriving kingdom and seemed take care of their people well. It was the reason that Felicity and Oliver were to be married. Her kingdom was struggling and it had been for a long time. It only got worse when her father fell ill. She shook her head; she didn’t want to think about these things. It just made her stomach twist into knots.

“There is absolutely nothing good about this situation,” she muttered to herself with a sigh.

She rounded a corner, but quickly backed up when she saw Oliver with another woman. Instead of immediately leaving, she leaned over just enough so that she could see what they were doing. She didn’t even have to have anyone follow him because she had stumbled upon him doing something probably stupid.

She could barely hear what they were saying, but he said something that made her giggle. Her back was pressed to a wall and his hand rest a few inches next to her head. Their faces were close, but not close enough to touch. She giggled again and he gave a smug, but charming grin.

Felicity rolled her eyes. Yep this was something stupid. Nyssa was right. She should trust her instincts and she shouldn’t have let that pretty face blind her. She was not going to let that happen again.

“Stop, you’re so funny,” the woman was loud enough this time to hear. She laughed and gave a gentle shove to Oliver’s chest, but she let her fingers linger.

Felicity held back a gag.

“Then why would I stop?” Oliver asked leaning in closer.

“Oh my god.” Felicity said in the most annoyed tone. She pulled back as soon as it let her mouth because she wasn’t sure if she had been heard.

The two were quiet for a moment and she half thought she was about to get caught eavesdropping. She heard another giggle and took that as her cue to get the heck out of there. She backed up and then turned on her heel walking with purpose towards her room.

Once her door had shut behind her she let out the longest most frustrated sigh. “I knew it,” she groaned.

She walked to the bed and picked up a pillow, pressing it to her face to and giving an even louder groan. How was she supposed to marry someone who lied to her face like that?

She threw the pillow down and scowled. “I’m not that guy,” she imitated Oliver’s voice, “What a bunch of crap.”

“You were right not to trust him,” Nyssa said startling Felicity again.

“Seriously, how do you do that?”

“Many years of training, princess,” her lips pulled into a smirk.

* * *

Felicity stewed in her room until someone came to get her for dinner. She sat at a long table with the Queen family and her mother. Oliver sat on one side of her while her mother was on the other. It took every ounce of willpower not to yell at him.

“How are you two getting along?” Moira Queen asked.

“Just great,” Oliver smiled.

Felicity kept her mouth shut because if she spoke it was going to be dripping with disdain and sarcasm. She picked up her glass of ice water and took a sip.

“She’s wonderful,” he continued.

Wonderfully gullible. She took another drink and licked her lips.

“I think we’re going to be fine,” hiis hand found its way to her leg patting it gently.

Without thinking she tilted her hand and dumped her almost full glass straight into his lap.

He yelped and stood up. “What the hell?”

“My hand slipped,” she set the glass down. “I am so sorry.” Just like she thought she couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

Everyone was staring at them, but she didn’t care. “Here,” she tossed her napkin at him. “I don’t need it and excuse me, but I’m not hungry,” she pushed herself up from the table.

Felicity walked away from the table quickly before anyone could stop her. She wasn’t in the mood for any of this; she didn’t want to marry Oliver and she most certainly didn’t want to pretend they were on good terms.

Thankfully she made it to her room where she retreated inside to be alone. She was not going back downstairs and she was not going to apologize to him. There was nothing to apologize for. They should all be apologizing to her for putting her into this situation. This was not her idea of fun and she did not think it was going to end well for anyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, wow I wrote the first part back in August. I really only ever intended for it to be a oneshot, but here we are. I am actually working on updating a few other fics that I've kind of left to collect dust, but there might be some more new stuff in the works too. Depends on how things with school go. ANYWAY, I hope you all enjoyed the update. It's probably not what was expected, but don't worry they'll only struggle for a good long while ;)  
> p.s I listened to "This is my Idea" from the Swan Princess soundtrack like four times while writing this. If that wasn't obvious by the title of this chapter.


	3. It Only Gets Worse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well... it's only almost been a year... but here I am with an update (:

“You need to apologize, Felicity,” Donna stormed into her room, “You’re putting everything at stake.”

“Oh no, the spoiled prince is going to break up with me over some ice water,” Felicity said from her spot on her bed.

Her mother took a deep breath and sat down on the edge of the bed. Donna knew very well that she wouldn’t respond with a rough approach, so she didn’t even know why she tried that. Felicity stayed exactly where she was, lying on her stomach and her chin on her pillow.

“I know you don’t like this, sweetheart,” Donna reached over and rubbed her back, “I wish things were different, but you know they aren’t. This marriage needs to happen.”

She sighed, “I know, we’re out of money and our people are suffering,” she said flatly; she did care, but she had heard it a hundred times.

“If your father was well things might be different.”

“That’s not going to happen,” she buried her face in her pillow, not wanting to think about that right now.

“Will you please apologize?”

She shook her head, but didn’t raise it to look at her mother.

“Felicity,” Donna sighed again.

“He’s horrible,” she mumbled into the fabric.

“I can’t hear you when you speak into the pillow.”

She finally lifted her head, “He’s horr-i-ble,” she exaggerated each syllable.

“It can’t be that bad,” her mother mumbled.

“He’s a flirt and a slut,” she continued to pout.

“Felicity,” Donna said sternly, “Name-calling?”

She knew she was acting like a child, but to be fair she had only been 18 for a short time. Grumbling, she buried her face into her pillow.

There was a knock at the door and Donna pushed herself up to get it. Felicity didn’t make a move to get up. She was not going to deal with whoever was at the door. Apparently, she didn’t need to anyway because Donna disappeared into the hallway. She turned her head just slightly, glancing towards the large door. There was another woman talking to her mother. She could only assume it was Moira. They weren’t being loud, but she could tell it was not a pleasant conversation.

She could just imagine the twenty-something year old prince throwing a tantrum as soon as she left.

“Hmph… big baby,” she mumbled.

The two older women were still out there hashing it out several minutes later. Felicity was starting to worry. It became even more worrying when it became quiet. She lifted herself up and sat on the edge of the bed. Had she really screwed things up?

The door started to creak open. She thought it was Donna, “Is the spoiled brat sending me home?” she asked, crossing her arms.

She received a giggle in response. It was most certainly not her mother. “He is a spoiled brat, huh?” the younger princess that was Thea Queen stepped inside.

Felicity blinked a couple of times. “Oh, hello.”

“Hi,” she closed the door and walked towards her.

Thea was only sixteen, nearly seven years younger than her older brother. She seemed very nice to Felicity, but it made her wonder what the hell was wrong with Oliver.

“You aren’t being kicked out, by the way,” she sat down next to her.

“Oh,” she couldn’t stop herself from sounding disappointed.

“Why’d you accidentally,” she did air quotes, “Spill water on him?”

“Because he’s a jerk,” she mumbled.

“Well, that’s true, but what’d he do,” Thea giggled.

“I saw him in the hallway flirting with someone and practically on the verge of sucking her face,” she huffed.

Thea gagged, “Ewww!”

“Yeah,” she sighed, “He also said he wasn’t that gross guy that the tabloids make him out to be. Liar.”

Thea gave an exasperated sigh.

“My thoughts exactly,” she flopped back against the bed.

The sixteen year old lay down, letting her dark curls fan across the bedspread. “Enough about my stupid brother,” she said, “What about you?”

“What about me?” she asked.

“What do you like to do?”

“Computers are kinda my thing,” she mumbled.

“Do you like shopping?” Thea raised a brow.

“Who doesn’t?” Felicity laughed.

“We’re going to get along just fine,” she patted the top of Felicity’s hand.

A smile pulled at her lips. If this was the only good thing that came out of her (non) relationship with Oliver then fine. She didn’t have very many friends. Okay, Nyssa and a woman named Sara back home were her only friends, so she would be happy to be friends with Thea. Even if she was her sister-in-law.

They lay there and talked for awhile. Apparently, Thea was very skilled in archery. It was something that the royals still had to learn. Some weird tradition that Felicity was going to have to partake in, but maybe she would have a good teacher.

They also talked about some of their favorite movies. Thea seemed slightly put off by the fact that she was into Star Wars and other science fiction films, but they made a deal to watch a couple of each of their favorites in the future. She had no idea how much time had passed while the two were talking before there was another knock at the door.

“Thea?” it was Moira.

“Oops, gotta go,” she pushed herself up.

Thea ran off towards the door and disappeared behind it.

It was quiet for a few moments before the door creaked open again. Without looking up she said, “Decide to lie in bed with me a little longer?”

“I doubt you really want me to do that,” Oliver said in a very annoyed tone.

Felicity scrambled to her feet. “What are you doing in here?”

“Coming to talk to you,” he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“Why?” she scowled at him.

“You know why,” he looked at her expectantly.

She narrowed her eyes at him. He really expected her to apologize didn’t he? Well, that was not going to happen.

“I am so sorry,” she said, sounding sincere for just a moment, “I’m sorry that you’re an ass. I’m sorry that I caught you in the hall with another woman. I’m sorry that I’m in this mess in the first place. I’m sorry that the ice water probably didn’t shrink your already tiny-”

“Hey!” he finally interrupted her.

“What!?” she shouted back at him.

“It’s not tiny,” he smirked.

“Get out!” she got even louder, “Get out of my room. Get out of my life.”

“No,” he stood firmly.

“Why!?”

“We’re going to get married and you’re going to have to learn to deal with it,” he said.

She felt her blood begin to boil. Walking towards him, she shoved a finger into his chest when she was only a few inches from him. “I don’t think so,” she punctuated each word with a poke to his chest.

“You’re a jerk who only cares about his dick and getting it off. How the hell does anyone expect me to marry you of all people. You’re engaged and you were….. cheating.”

She didn’t even like saying that because she didn’t want to even acknowledge that they were engaged to each other. But that fact he was already being untrustworthy and unloyal to her was enough to make her want to scream.

“I didn’t do anything with her,” he snapped back.

“Why the hell should I believe you,” she glared up at him.

“I haven’t done anything with anyone in awhile,” he tried to keep his voice steady this time.

“Like I said, why should I believe you? You’ve already lied to me.”

“It was harmless flirting and I didn’t lie.”

“Just stop! Just stop. I don’t believe you and I’m never going to.”

“I’m not lying!”

Their chests moved up and down with heavy breaths; their faces only inches apart. Tension and heat rising between them. There was an almost static spark, but she refused to believe it was anything more than the hatred she felt for him. She noticed his eyes flick down to her lips just before he leaned in.

Without any thought, she slapped him hard across the face. Her eyes went wide and her hands came to cover her mouth. She had never done that before.

He looked at her, shocked and confused as he rubbed his cheek. Oliver didn’t say anything else before turning to leave her room.

Oh. Frack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what y'all think!
> 
> tumblr: felicityollies  
> twitter: gothlicitys


	4. Realizations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ummm it gets worse before it gets better?

Oliver had never been slapped, never been touched that way in his entire life. He hadn’t even expected to get caught. The other woman was just a maid, a new one they had hired among few that they had hired to help with the extra guests. He flirted, but didn’t kiss her; he hadn’t been lying about that. Now, he was standing in the hallway, cheek sore and red, and wondering what the hell just happened.

Felicity was… something else. She was annoying, loud, full of herself, intimidating, strong, and so gorgeous.

He smacked himself in the face where he had just been slapped moments ago. “Knock it off,” he sighed.

At least he hadn’t said it out loud. There was no way that he was going to admit that he found his fiancee to be attractive. Especially when he considered her to be so undeniably frustrating. Yeah, he tried to kiss her, but there was just a moment of.. how did he even describe it? Tension? Heat? He didn’t know, but it seemed like the right thing to do. Obviously not. He rubbed his cheek again as he disappeared behind his bedroom door.

Maybe it was just a momentary lapse in sanity. On both sides. No woman had ever reacted to him this way. It was weird to say the least. He fully expected Felicity to be like everyone else, to let him do what he wanted, and be into him. She wasn’t even easily manipulated. He tried with his pout and puppy eyes, but she saw right through him.

Sighing, he leaned close to his mirror and eyed his red skin. She didn’t leave a welt or anything, thank god, but it was going to sting for a bit, that much he was sure of. What he wasn’t sure of, was how this marriage between he and Felicity was going to work. There was no way out of or around it. They were to be wed and rule both their lands as King and Queen.

She hated him and he had, until recently, been indifferent to her. He couldn’t see himself getting along with the cold and crabby princess. What if those were her only two emotions? Yeah, he wanted no part of that.

It was then that he decided that he was going to avoid her for awhile. Their wedding wasn’t for another two months, so he plenty of time to hide from her.

Avoidance worked for a couple of days. They still had to eat meals together, but they didn’t sit beside or speak to each other. Moira and Donna found it very annoying, but there was no way to actually force him to say anything to her. Felicity wasn’t bothered. He had a feeling she wanted to avoid him as much as he did her.

One of his favorite places to hide was actually in the library. There was a space high up that he figured out how to climb to. It was just enough room for him to sit and read. He could see the room down below, but he stayed mostly hidden. No one else in the castle knew that he even liked to read and that was fine with him. It made it easier to stay out of sight. On the third day of avoiding Princess Crabby, she wandered into the library while he was up top, reading Crusoe. He narrowed his eyes at her, but didn’t say anything.

Felicity sat down in one of the oversized chairs and pulled out a small laptop. She sat there for awhile, simply staring at her screen and typing something. He ignored her for the most part. Just reading his book and idly glancing her way. When she was done doing whatever it was that she was doing, she got up and left.

This happened four days in a row.

It had now been a week since they had said anything to each other and Oliver was feeling feisty. She had been sitting in her chair for at least thirty minutes and it seemed the perfect opportunity to scare her. He was going to totally give away his secret spot, but it seemed worth it.

“What are you doing here?” he lowered his voice enough to sound dark and growly.

Felicity yelped and leaped from her chair, nearly dropping her laptop. “What the hell?” she squeaked.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he growled.

She snapped her computer closed and hugged it to her chest. “Who’s there!?”

“Your worst nightmare.”

“Show yourself!”

He couldn’t hold it in anymore; he started laughing and dropped his book to the floor. It clattered loudly. She looked for the source of the noise and found him holding his sides as he laughed.

“You’re a creep!” she shouted.

He shook his head, “No, you’re just easy.”

She gave a frustrated scream.

He started to climb down, jumping to his feet a few yards away from her.

“What were you even doing up there?”

“Spying on you.”

“You’re disgusting.”

He rolled his eyes, “Don’t flatter yourself. I was just… sitting up there.”

“Right,” she walked around him and scooped up the book that fell, “Just sitting up there with this? Is the prince a secret nerd?”

“No,” he huffed.

“Are you sure? This looks well read and I don’t think this is Thea’s style.”

“Shut up,” he was starting to regret making himself known.

She shoved the book into his chest. “Nerd.”

“Crab.”

She rolled her eyes this time, “You don’t know a damn thing about me.”

“Swearing isn’t very princess like…” he barely got the sentence out when she gave him a glare that made him recoil.

Why did she have to be so intimidating? It was annoying…. and attractive.

He needed to stop thinking that.

“And now you’re staring. Creep,” she sighed, pulling away from him.

“I wasn’t staring,” he mumbled.

Felicity didn’t say anything else. She walked out of the library with her laptop and disappeared down the corridor. After that she stopped coming to the library. He felt a tiny bit bad, but at least she hadn’t told anyone about his spot. If she had he knew that his mother would have been there as soon as he went missing again.

He kind of wondered where Felicity was hiding now. Why was he even thinking about her? Ugh. He was twenty-freaking-two years old and this eighteen year old girl had gotten his mind all confused. Instead of using one of his usual hiding spots that day, he ended up wandering the castle. He asked several guards if they had seen her, but each one shook their head no.

“What are you doing?” his little sister popped out out of nowhere and scared the life out of him.

He probably deserved that.

“Walking?”

“Mhmm,” she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“Fine, I’m looking for Felicity,” he muttered.

“Knew it,” she looked all too pleased with herself.

“Gonna tell me where she is?”

“Why?” she raised a brow, “Maybe she wants to be alone.”

“So? Tell me where she is.”

“Well, okay, but I did warn you.”

He glared at her.

“She’s outside in the garden.”

“Thanks, brat,” he started to walk away from her.

“Oh and mom is looking for you! Something really important!”

“I’ll talk to her later,” he waved his sister off.

He couldn’t explain why he was so intent on finding her, but he was. It was probably weird, but whatever. He was going to see Felicity and that was that.

Outside, he found her sitting on a bench. She wore the softest color of blue, a wispy dress that moved gently in the breeze. Her hair fell around her shoulders. The light shone on her in a way that made her hair seem even more golden and her skin almost glowed. The flowers around her framed her petite body, making her appear like some ethereal being. She slowly pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. Her eyes were glued to her computer screen again. She tugged her lower lip between her teeth, chewing gently. It was the most innocent thing and yet it made him swallow a lump that had formed in his throat.

She really was beautiful, but she was still cold and mean. Part of him just wanted to get her into bed. It would happen eventually, but because they would consummate their marriage.

“Not a very good hiding place,” he said, startling her out of her thoughts.

“Are you just hell bent on scaring me or what?” she snapped.

“No?”

“Right,” she sighed, snapping her computer shut and pushing herself up.

“Woah, where are you going?”

“Away from you,” she hissed.

“We have to spend time together eventually,” he moved in front of her.

“Not today,” she walked around him.

“Why?” he moved in front of her again.

“Because I don’t want to.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Because my father is dying,” she pushed him this time, “He took a turn for the worst last night and I want to be alone.”

He could see the tears welling up in her eyes.

“I…” he started to say.

“Just save it,” she sniffled, her tears falling down her cheeks.

He let her go this time. There was a pang of guilt and something else that he couldn’t put a name to in his stomach. He just… felt bad and it sucked. When he came out there he had intended to… well he didn’t know what he was going to do. He had only wanted to see her; he didn’t want to hurt her. Sighing, he kicked the dirt in front of him. He probably should have listened to Thea. Now he was going to do something that he had never done before.

He was going to apologize.


	5. Misery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♫ there’s something there that wasn’t there before ♫

Felicity had never hated her life before. She had a loving family, she was going to inherit a kingdom, and could basically do as she pleased.

Now it was different.

Her father was dead. She was going to be married to a bratty prince earlier than originally scheduled. It felt like her entire world was crumbling around her. She left the funeral and was quickly transported back to Oliver’s kingdom. Felicity thought she deserved more time to grieve, but apparently not.

If she couldn’t grieve, then she desperately wanted someone or something to distract her.

“Felicity,” Oliver’s voice pulled her attention.

“What?” she barely had the energy to be pissed at his existence.

“I wanted to apologize,” he said.

“For what?”

“The other day…in the garden... I shouldn’t…. I wasn’t trying to irritate you, I just wanted to see you.”

She crossed her arms in front of her chest, “Why?”

He shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know.”

She rolled her eyes and walked passed him.

“I really do want to apologize,” he sighed, following her, “I’m sorry.”

Felicity wanted to smuch to be angry at him, but he was actually trying and he did sound sincere. She stopped and turned to look at him.

“Why are you being nice all of a sudden?” she asked, “Is it just because of my father?”

“No,” he mumbled, “I…. you’re not as bad as I thought you were,” he started to say, making her take another step away from him, “Wait…. I just mean that I don’t hate you and I don’t want us to get married with you hating me.”

Felicity paused. It didn’t make sense to her that he suddenly didn’t hate her. What the hell did she even do to change his mind? “Why?” she asked quietly.

“Because our marriage is going to be really miserable if we don’t like each other…”

“No,” she said, “Why don’t you hate me?”

“I never hated you,” he sighed heavily, “I thought you were mean… and cold… I still kind of do, but I don’t hate you.”

She looked into his eyes; she didn’t find anything in those deep blues that told her he was lying. It still didn’t make any sense. She hadn’t shown him any kindness since she had arrived at the castle and yet he was still trying to give her a chance. Felicity just wasn’t sure how she felt about him. He made it all kinds of confusing. She let out a long sigh, deciding there was one thing they could do for now.

“Take me to your room,” she said.

“Wh- okay,” he lead the way to their bedrooms.

This probably wasn’t right, but she wanted to be distracted. She wanted to stop feeling depressed at least for a few minutes. She needed the ache in her chest to stop or she didn’t know how she was going to keep going.

In his bedroom, she sat down on the bed and waited for him to join her. He looked very confused as he sat beside her.

“What are we going to do?” he asked.

She answered him by grabbing onto the back of his neck and pulling him in for a kiss. He was surprised, but he kissed her back. At least for a few seconds.

“Why are you doing this?” he mumbled as he pulled back.

“Oliver please…” she tried to tug him back, but he pulled further away.

“You don’t even like me,” he said.

“What does it matter?” she snapped, “I just… I need…”

He shook his head, “I’m not doing this.”

She swallowed thickly, feeling incredibly stupid. Of course he wasn’t going to have sex with her. He might not hate her, but that didn’t mean he was going to do anything with her. She felt her eyes well up with tears as she got up from the bed.

“Wait…” he started to say, but she just shook her head and walked right out the door.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid._

She walked across the hall to her room and closed the door behind her. There was no way she was coming out. She had just embarrassed herself completely and all she wanted to do was lie in bed alone. Felicity curled up on top of the blankets and gripped onto her pillow. She choked on a sob. Her chest ached worse than before as tears streamed down her cheeks.

* * *

Oliver didn’t know what the hell to do. He was trying to be nice to Felicity, but now she was trying to use him. He should have been mad at her, but he wasn’t. She was depressed and angry because of the situation and her father being gone. It was hard to even be a little bit pissed. He would have happily screwed her in any other situation, but he knew she was going to regret it if they had sex.

He wasn’t used to having to be the grown up. It sucked. Part of him wanted to go back to the way things were. When he could fool around and do whatever he wanted, but he realized that he wasn’t going to get anywhere in life if he did that. Oliver had to grow the hell up and act like the king he was supposed to be. It was freaking terrifying, but he had to do it. And he was going to start by making sure his Queen was okay.

He liked Felicity. At least he thought he did. She was so confusing. A beautiful and smart princess, but he still hadn’t seen much of her other than angry and now depressed. How was he supposed to pull the rest of Felicity out? He grabbed his pillow and pressed it into his face before giving a frustrated scream.

Oliver decided to leave her alone for the night, but in the morning he was going to attempt to bring a smile to her face. Or at least make her not mad or sad.

He knocked on the door at about eight in the morning, “Princess?”

“Go away, Oliver,” she sniffled loudly.

“Nope,” he leaned against the wall by the door.

“Why?” she yelled.

“Because you can’t stay in there forever.”

“I can try.”

“Then I’m coming in,” he said, opening the door.

“What? Get out,” she covered her face with her pillow, “Go away,” her voice was muffled by the fabric.

“Nope,” he said again.

“Why? Didn’t I go through enough yesterday?” she kept talking into the pillow.

He sighed and sat down on the bed, “You gotta get up.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings yesterday…. if that’s what happened,” he sucked in a deep breath and reminded himself he was an adult, “I didn’t want you to do something you would regret.”

She was quiet for a few moments before slowly pulling her pillow away, “Really?” she asked.

He nodded slowly, “You’re mean, but you’re hot as hell, Felicity.”

She threw her pillow, nailing him in the face, “You’re an idiot.”

He threw the pillow back, “What I mean is…. I didn’t tell you no because you’re gross or something…. and you know liking me at least a little is preferable.”

“Not possible,” she sighed dramatically, but he could see that things were changing.

There had to be a little part of her that didn’t loathe him to even think about using him that way. He was positive. The fact that she hadn’t actually kicked him out yet was a good indicator too.

“Do you still hate me?” he decided to ask her outright.

She sat up and looked him in the eyes, but instead of speaking she shrugged.

“That’s all I get?” he asked, imitating her shrug.

A small smile tugged at her lips despite herself. One point for Oliver.

“I don’t know…. I still don’t want to get married, but I guess you’re not horrible.” 

“Not horrible,” he repeated, “I’ll take it.”

“Why are you doing this?” she asked.

“Because seeing you sad yesterday…. it was shitty,” he said honestly, “And like I said before… we are getting married whether we like it or not and I don’t want us to have a depressing marriage.”

“Thank you,” she said after a couple moments of quiet.

“For what?”

“Not letting me do something stupid yesterday,” she looked down at her hands, “I don’t know what I was thinking.”

He sighed and scooted a little closer to her, “You were sad, you wanted a distraction, and I was the closest stud available.”

She pushed him hard enough to make him fall off the bed. He yelped as he hit the floor.

“My ass,” he whined, standing up.

She giggled, making a horrible snorting noise, but he thought it was one of the cutest things he had ever heard. Her giggle alone was sweet and melodic. On top of that because of her snort, a bright pink blush filled her cheeks.

“Happy is a good look on you,” he said softly.

Felicity pressed her lips together for a moment and looked away from him. Her blush now reaching her ears. He moved around to the other side of the bed and watched her for a moment.

“You’re beautiful,” he said, “You shouldn’t hide it.”

She looked up at him and he leaned a little closer. This felt different than the previous day. There was something different and new between them. He could feel it. An electric spark that started from his fingertips and spread throughout. Their feelings for each other were confusing, but this didn’t feel confusing. It felt _real_.

She leaned in further, but at the last second she pulled away and slid off the bed. “I uh… I need to shower and you should go to breakfast… and save me some of that strawberry jam stuff.”

He swallowed hard and nodded, “Of course, but be quick because I can’t promise I won’t eat it if you take to long.”

“Well then go! I’m not getting naked while you’re in here,” she waved him out.

He stepped out into the hallway and the door closed behind him. For the first time since he had met Felicity, he truly liked her and thought they had at least a small chance to make things work. He just didn’t think he was going to fall in love with her or have her fall in love with him in the next three days before their wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!


	6. This is It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well it’s finally here…. two years in the making (holy shit) the wedding day. 
> 
> [felicity's wedding attire](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/f2/47/37/f247379c445b7adb53e444182bc19f2f.jpg) // [oliver's wedding attire](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/22/4b/d4/224bd47ae33e80b17e6ae52351cb1329--steampunk-fashion-male-circus-fashion.jpg)

Felicity stood out on a seemingly random field. A shooting range was set up for her to practice archery. Part of the wedding ceremony involved both her and Oliver shooting an arrow through a flaming circle. It was supposed to symbolize unity or something like that. It was some long time Queen family tradition and she was not allowed to back down from it. She had a total of three days to learn enough to at least shoot one arrow, but she doubted it was going to go very well. There was supposed to be a much longer time frame for her to learn, but because of her father, things changed. She didn’t even know if she could focus enough to learn. Her head was still spinning from the previous day.

Trying to get Oliver into bed as a distraction, getting rejected, and then spending the whole night depressed, lonely and crying had definitely done a number on her. Only hours ago, she had been contemplating staying in bed the entire day when Oliver came to check on her. He didn’t have to, but he did and he actually made her feel a bit better. She didn’t know how she felt towards him other than she didn’t want to marry him. Felicity didn’t love him, so how could she want to marry him? At least he wasn't as horrible as she originally thought. There was the one flirting incident and lying about it, but Oliver wasn’t all bad.

She sighed and leaned on her bow, threatening to snap the thing.

“You can’t use it if you break it.”

“Agh,” she slid off of it and nearly toppled over.

“You okay?” Oliver asked as he helped right her.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m your teacher,” he gave one of those swoon worthy smiles.

And she gave him one of her signature glares.

“Our usual archery instructor had a family emergency of her own, so I’m the next best thing,” he shrugged his shoulders, “I’ve been doing this since I was a kid, I think I can show you how to do it.”

Oliver took the longbow from her and quickly got into position. He grabbed an arrow from a nearby quiver, nocked it with ease, and sent it flying across the field. She could hear it gliding through the wind and thunk against the target several feet away from them.

“If you are going to teach her-”

They both screamed. Oliver nocked another arrow and pointed it at the person who had startled them both. Unlucky for him, it was Nyssa, her body guard. Nyssa’s finger twitched and Felicity could tell she ached to grab her own weapon.

“I did not think the little prince had it in him,” she said plainly. Letting out a slow breath, she continued, “If you are going to teach her then I must warn you against any harm coming to her.”

Oliver lowered the bow and arrow, “Do you know who you’re talking to?”

Felicity looked between Oliver and Nyssa.

“I am well aware _little prince_ ,” she said, “But it is my duty to keep the princess safe.”

“As fun as it would be to continue this measuring contest, I think it would be a good idea to start this stupid lesson,” Felicity interjected.

“As soon as we get married you can get a new bodyguard,” Oliver muttered.

“No,” she said without hesitation.

Nyssa made a pleased noise and smirked as she moved to the other side of Felicity. Oliver grumbled loudly. She did note, now that she wasn’t startled out of her mind, that Oliver’s first instinct that been to defend her. Like Nyssa said, she didn’t know he had it in him either.

“Alright,” he said, “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

She took the longbow from him again and picked up an arrow. Her fingers fumbled with it as she tried to nock the arrow into place. She dropped it several times before she finally got it where it needed to be. With a deep breath, she attempted to shoot the stupid thing, but it fell to the ground again.

She stamped her foot, “How am I supposed to learn this in time for the wedding?”

“It’s okay, I just wanted to see how much work we needed to do.”

She sighed heavily. He came up behind her and adjusted her stance.

“You need to keep your body aligned and steady.”

Felicity gave a side glance to Nyssa who was watching Oliver carefully, “He’s not going to let me get hurt,” she said, “He is going to be my husband after all…” the word left a sour taste in her mouth. She swallowed, trying to rid herself of it, “You can go if you want.”

“I will stay close by,” Nyssa said, “It is still my duty to keep you safe.”

After Nyssa was gone, Oliver went back to guiding her movements. She memorized the way he guided her hands and arms, the exact positioning…. and the gentleness of his touch. And the warmth of his body enveloping her; the scent of his body wash.

“Now after you nock it,” he said, drawing the bow back with her hand, “You pull all the way to the corner of your mouth and make a hook.”

He was so close to her, but why was she even thinking like this? She didn’t like him that way. She barely liked him at all. It was her vulnerable state. That had to be it. She was depressed and vulnerable after losing her father. Felicity was still seeking comfort and Oliver was the obvious choice. That was all. She couldn’t fall for someone in less than a day. It wasn’t possible. Especially when the idea of their marriage still made her want to scream.

“Okay,” she let out a shaky breath.

“Breathe in and out slowly….. and release.”

She let go as soon as he said the word release. The arrow whizzed through the air and landed with a thud next to Oliver’s arrow on the target.

“Yes!” she pumped her fist into the air.

“See not too hard, but now you have to do it on your own.”

“Are you sure we can’t do it like that during the ceremony?” she bit down on her lower lip.

“That would defeat the purpose of us both shooting an arrow…..”

“Not really, we’re both technically doing it.”

He opened his mouth and closed it again. She giggled quietly.

“I’ll have to run it by my mom….. but we should probably still practice just in case.”

She gave a dramatic sigh, “I suppose.”

Felicity got ready to try again and immediately thwacked herself with the bow string. It smacked against her bare wrist so hard she thought there was going to be a welt. Tears stung her eyes, but she willed herself not to cry in front of Oliver again.

“It’s okay,” he said softly, “Everyone does it.”

“You’re only saying that to be nice,” she sniffed.

“No, I mean it,” he sighed, “We can keep practicing later…. let’s get some ice on this.”

* * *

Bridesmaids and Groomsmen had arrived. They were only hours away from walking down the aisle and Oliver didn’t know what to think. He had just gotten cornered by a tiny blonde that he was pretty sure could have taken him to the tile if she wanted to.

“Hi, I’m Sara. Best friend of the future Queen. I don’t like you,” she stated, “But I don’t have much of a choice do I? So you better make her happy,” she poked his chest hard enough that he thought she might have left a bruise.

What was it with Felicity’s friends and being mean to him? He probably deserved it. He hadn’t started out their relationship on the best terms. God, he was such an idiot, thinking he could treat her like a damn welcome mat. He could have been an adult about the whole thing, but he made her feel like she needed to hate him. Now they were barely even friends and getting married. He didn’t know if he could use the term friends at all. Oliver was sure that he liked her a lot more than she liked him.

_Shit._

He sighed heavily and shuffled down the hallway. Someone was going to come get him soon to get ready for the wedding ceremony. He wished they could postpone at least a little longer, but now her kingdom was without a king and on top of that they were running out of resources. There was no way around it. He knew that Felicity cared about her people more than anything and she wouldn’t want them to suffer.

“Hey,” a gentle voice said from behind him.

“Hi,” he mumbled.

A warm hand squeezed his shoulder, “You okay?”

“I’m about to marry a woman I don’t love and who doesn’t even like me,” he sighed, “What do you think?” he looked up to meet his own bodyguard’s gaze.

John Diggle shook his head, “You’re doing a good thing…. even if it doesn’t seem like it right now.”

“Easy for you to say,” he sighed and turned towards his room.

“I know… it’s twisted and you shouldn’t have to marry someone you barely know. It’s all political,” he waved his hand, “But silver lining is you’re helping a lot of people… and maybe things will work out.”

Oliver gave him a disbelieving look.

“You forget that I’ve been around…. I’ve seen pretty much everything,” he shook his head.

John was like his older brother, both guiding and judging, but Oliver appreciated it nonetheless.

“Maybe.”

* * *

Oliver sucked in a deep breath as he stood at the alter. He did his best not to fidget and squirm, but he was about to be married. _Married_. He swallowed thickly. There were so many people in the chapel. Royalty from very small neighboring kingdoms and countries, family, and friends. John stood beside him as his best man. The music started to play the bridal march. It filled the chapel and suddenly he felt as if the room were too warm.

The bridesmaids came into the room, the girl that had threatened him before, Sara, and a few others that he didn’t recognize. It seemed quiet for a few moments. Nothing but the sound of breathing, his heart pounding, and the music of the piano.

Then the doors opened again.

Felicity stepped inside and everyone stood. She was a vision. Her dress looked like something that came right out of a fairytale; large and white with delicate designs etched into the fabric. Her blonde hair fell in perfect curls around her face, settling on her bare shoulders and her delicate fingers were wrapped around a bouquet of white roses. The way the light hit her made his breath catch in his throat. Felicity Smoak was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his entire life.

Maybe he already knew that. Of course he did. She was a stunning being with or without all of the makeup and glitter.

She made it up to him and passed off the bouquet to Sara. Felicity stood in front of him, tears welling up in her eyes. His chest constricted; he knew they weren’t happy tears.

He cleared his throat, “Can we make this quick?”

His mother made an unhappy noise and gave him a stern look from the audience, but the minister nodded anyway.

“Do either of you have anything to say?” he asked them.

Felicity shook her head, blinking back tears.

“I um… I just want to say…. I know these are crummy circumstances and I’m sorry for the way things started between us, but Felicity… I will do everything I can to make you happy,” he said honestly.

She looked up at him with her sad crystal blue eyes.

“I promise.”

She mouthed the words, “Thank you.”

“Do you Oliver Queen take Felicity Smoak to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“I do.”

“And do you Felicity Smoak take Oliver Queen to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

She sniffled, “I...I do.”

“You may now kiss the bride.”

He hesitantly leaned in and kissed the corner of her mouth for only a brief second. Everyone stood and applauded, but he couldn’t stop looking at Felicity. Her expression was heartbroken, like she had just signed her life away.

* * *

Felicity sat on _their_ bed. All of their things had been moved during the wedding and the following ceremonies. She and Oliver were able to shoot the arrow the way she wanted to, thankfully, and then she had to be sociable for dinner and drinks. They hadn’t actually spent that much time together after the wedding. It was probably a good thing. She could barely keep herself together and now that she was alone.... A sob choked its way out of her throat. Her father was dead and now she was married to a man she didn’t love. She didn’t hate him, but her feelings for him were so confusing. Felicity had to keep reminding herself that she was doing this for her people. Her marriage to Oliver would combine her kingdom with his and bring so much prosperity back to her people.

But she couldn’t stop the sadness that creeped its way into her chest.

The door opened. She gasped and tried to quiet her cries.

“Oh, uh.. I’m sorry,” Oliver stumbled over his words, “I can go.”

She shook her head, “It’s your room too,” she wiped her face and turned her back towards him.

“Actually, I was going to suggest that I sleep in my old room.”

She sniffled, “Why?”

“Well, I didn’t think you really wanted to share a bed with me….”

“Won’t everyone else think it’s weird.”

“Maybe,” he hesitantly moved towards her.

She finally got her tears under control, “You can sit.”

He carefully avoided her dress and sat down beside her, “We also don’t umm have to… do anything that you don’t want to.”

She looked at him, “What?”

“We don’t have to consummate… our marriage,” he fiddled with his fingers.

Felicity couldn’t help but giggle. Oliver Queen, reformed playboy, fumbling over talking about sex to _his wife_.

“What?” he pouted.

“Nothing,” she shook her head, “You’re just… funny.”

He continued to pout.

She explained it to him and he let out his own little laugh.

“When you say it like that it is kind of funny…” he mumbled.

“I appreciate it, though,” she sighed.

“I meant what I said, Felicity,” he reached over and took her hand, “I want you to be happy. And maybe we could at least be friends?”

She thought about it for a moment, “I guess you wouldn’t be a horrible friend.”

“I’ll take it,” he chuckled.

She swallowed thickly, “C-can you stay in here tonight? I don’t want to do anything, but I’m…. I…. I don’t want to be alone.”

“Are you okay?”

“My dad… I miss him so much,” she choked on a sob.

He opened his arms for her and she took the invitation without hesitating. She buried her face in his shoulder and started to cry. It didn’t matter if she had been trying to keep herself from seeking comfort in his arms after her little distraction incident; she needed someone.

Somehow they found themselves lying on their bed. He held her close while she continued to cry. Eventually, it seemed she had cried all her tears. She sniffled quietly for a few minutes.

“I’m sorry I got your tux all wet,” she mumbled, “It made you look handsome.”

“Woo, I was handsome for one day.”

She gave a small smile.

He hugged her tight, “It’s okay… and you look beautiful by the way. You do every day.”

“I doubt it right now,” she tilted her head up at him.

“Eh just a little tears and snot,” he shrugged, “Still beautiful.”

A light blush burned at her cheeks, “Thank you.”

Felicity buried her face in his shoulder again. She took in a deep breath and let her eyes close. Her entire body ached with exhaustion. Too much had happened. Too many emotions. Not enough answers to every confusing feeling. It only took a few moments for her to fall asleep in his arms…. still wearing her wedding dress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i never said it was a happy occasion..... |: 
> 
> Let me know what you think!  
> tumblr: felicityollies  
> twitter: felicityollies


	7. Bittersweet and Strange

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I'm not going to wait eons to update this again. I swear i swear!!

Felicity’s heels clicked against the sidewalks of Starling. Her soft pink dress blew gently in the wind. The fabric flowed down to her knees and came up in a v-shape, showing a little bit of cleavage; the thick straps sat just below her shoulders. When Oliver saw her that morning, blonde curls brushed to one side and make up freshly done, he nearly gaped at her. They were doing their best to be friends now that they were married, but there was more to the look on his face than just friendship. Part of her didn’t mind the way his eyes travelled over her and the soft confession of his admiration for her beauty. Her cheeks flushed, turning a soft shade of rose pink.

And she had to admit Oliver looked good walking beside her in his casual slacks and button up shirt. He wore suspenders over his white shirt, but had declined to wear a jacket. Something about it was really attractive. It was true they both thought of each other as sexually appealing. Felicity wouldn’t have thrown herself at him as a distraction otherwise, but she didn’t want to give into him.

It had been over a week since they married and they had yet to consummate.

What if all they had with each other was sexual intimacy and nothing more? What kind of marriage was that?

“You’re thinking very loudly,” Oliver said, gently placing his hand at the small of her back.

She startled and he quietly apologized. “I know,” she sighed, “I have a lot on my mind.”

“Want to talk about it?”

“No!”

He recoiled and pulled his hand away.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t… I didn’t mean to yell,” she mumbled, “It’s not something I can talk about with you.”

“Oh,” he rubbed the back of his neck, “Let’s just… enjoy the sights then. Get to know the city.”

“That’s what we’re here for,” she said, forcing a smile.

Oliver stopped and turned to face her, “You don’t have to pretend,” he said.

“What?”

“You don’t have to pretend to be happy. I’m your husband… your friend. I want to know if you’re upset.”

She swallowed thickly. He was trying so hard and she knew she wasn’t putting forth as much effort. The death of her father and the wedding still weighed on her. Oliver knew this and he had been kind and patient. When did the immature boy she met grow up so completely? She needed to grow, she needed to try, but everything seemed to difficult. Everything hurt.

“Okay,” she said softly.

“Okay?”

“I won’t pretend.”

“Good.”

“I should still get to know this place if I’m going to rule it,” she continued, “But maybe only a little today.”

He nodded and let his hand fall to her back again. They walked down the sidewalk alongside old and weathered buildings. Some of the streets were still brick while others had been updated with pavement. She could see the history coming to life in each building they past. Historical landmarks tastefully transformed into restaurants and shopping centers. Old theaters with shining lights. Starling was the perfect mix of historical and modern.

The people they passed bowed their heads in respect for their king and queen. No one dare step foot near them. John followed a few feet behind and Nyssa, arguably more terrifying, walked a few feet ahead. There were more guards spread throughout, keeping an eye on them. If Felicity hadn’t grown up being watched every moment, she might have found it annoying.

“Give it back!” a small voice cried.

“Big baby!” a male child responded.

Felicity frowned and walked towards the commotion. Oliver stepped ahead of her when they came across three children fighting. Two boys, probably about eight years old, terrorizing a younger girl. They were playing keep away with the poor girl’s doll. The three of them wore matching school uniforms, dark green and white; the boys in jackets, shirts, and pants while the girl wore a skirt with straps and a shirt similar to the boy’s.

“Hey,” Oliver called to them.

All three children gasped.

“Why don’t we give her the doll back,” he said gently.

One of the boys scrambled to give her the doll.

“And apologize,” he continued.

“Sorry,” the boys said in unison.

Felicity bit down on her lip. The young boys looked utterly terrified as if Oliver were going to throw them in a deep dark dungeon.

“Why don’t you run along,” she added, “I’m sure you two have chores to do at home.”

They nodded and scurried off.

“Are you okay?” Oliver bent down towards the young girl.

“Yes your majesty,” she curtsied and bowed her head, making her pigtails fall forward.

He grinned, “I’m glad.”

She watched them for a moment, feeling her heart warm. Oliver continued to step up to the plate. He was truly their king. The person the people needed. He was good with them, kind and sincere.

“Next time you’ll have to give those boys a run for their money,” she said, stepping towards them.

The little girl curtsied again.

“I don’t like to fight,” she hugged her doll.

“That’s okay too,” Felicity said, “But it’s also okay to ask for help.”

The girl thought about it, but then nodded, “Okay. Thank you.”

“Would you like an escort home?” Oliver asked.

“My house is right there,” she pointed to a blue door across the street.

The street was lined with thin, but tall houses all attached to each other. Each had stone steps which led to a different color door.

“Let’s go then,” he held out his hand to her as he stood.

She wrapped her hand around his first two fingers. Felicity followed them across the street and to the house.

“Maria,” the door swung open and an older woman came out, “Maria there you are- oh your majesties, my apologies,” she quickly bowed her head.

“Mama, the king and queen made the mean boys go away!”

Maria let go of Oliver’s hand and threw herself at her mother.

“It’s alright,” he gave one of his suave smiles.

“Thank you,” she shooed her daughter inside.

“She’s a real sweetheart,” Felicity said.

“Thank you so much for your kindness,” the woman continued.

“It’s no problem, really,” Oliver said, “We’ll leave you be, it seems like you’re busy.”

“Thank you, thank you,” she muttered. 

They moved down the steps and the woman shut the door only when they had reached the bottom. That woman had been so grateful to them simply for stopping some bullies and walking her daughter home. She looked around at all the people in the kingdom that relied on her, relied on both of them, and let out a shaky breath. This was only half of it. There were all of the people in her own kingdom too. It was terrifying, but looking at Oliver and knowing that he was ready to do this gave her a feeling of calm.

* * *

They shuffled tiredly into their bedroom that night. Oliver plopped down onto the four poster bed. The room surrounding them was so much more extravagant than any she’d had before she married him. It was big enough to fit several more king size beds, but instead it was filled with the finest furniture. Wooden wardrobes etched with intricate designs, painted in gold, matching mirrors on either side of the room. His and Hers versions of everything, from the mirrors to lounge chairs and loveseats. The entire room dripped with gold and silver whether it was paint or truly precious metals. Three large doors led to a single shared bathroom, equally large and luxurious, and two walk in closets.

She watched his fingers trace the design on their white and gold blanket. “How did you do it?” she asked.

He quirked a brow, “Do what?”

“Grow up,” she said, “No offense, but you were a brat when I met you.”

He huffed in faux annoyance.

“I’m serious,” she sat down beside him.

He shrugged his shoulders, “Sometimes it’s still hard to be an adult and make big decisions… but they need me,” he said, “You saw them today.”

“Yeah…” she looked down.

“And you needed me,” he reached for her hand and squeezed, “You might not want to admit it, but one of us needed to buck up…. and you weren’t in a place to do it.”

Her heart stuttered in her chest. This warmth she felt towards Oliver was only growing. It terrified her. She didn’t want these feelings to develop because she was vulnerable. She didn’t want to start something with him only to have it blow up in her face. They were married and they were going to have to live with every decision they made.

“You didn’t give up your playboy shenanigans because I was sad,” she muttered. 

He tilted her chin towards him, “I did it for the people, for your people. I did it for my family. I decided to stop _fucking around_ and be someone better because… you don’t deserve to be stuck with an asshat. Even if you were mean.”

She laughed, ignoring the slight burn of tears in her eyes. She didn’t even know why she was crying. His kindness? “If I had known your feelings were so delicate,” she said.

“My feelings… you dumped ice on my crotch and slapped me.”

“Maybe it helped wake you up.”

He rolled his eyes and she laughed again.

Felicity let her tears fall, but she leaned in closer to him. She pushed away all her thoughts. All her worries about sex and her feelings towards him. She focused only on him as she pressed her lips to his. Oliver’s hands went to her cheeks, wiping away her tears.

“Don’t cry,” he whispered.

“I’m sorry.”

“What’s wrong?” he pulled away from her.

“I don’t know… I’m just so confused…” she sniffled.

He wiped her cheeks again, “Does it have anything to do with what you were thinking about earlier?”

“Sort of…”

He sighed and pulled his hands away.

“Oliver… I don’t know how I feel about you anymore. It’s confusing. I don’t know…. what I want from you. It’s not fair,” she swallowed thickly, “Not fair to you. I don’t know if I’m just…. I…” she struggled to find the right words, “I don’t want to hurt you or for anything to happen because I’m depressed. I don’t want to sleep with you just because I think you’re attractive and then the only thing we have between us is sex…”

He stared down at his hands for a long moment. It seemed to stretch out for an eternity before he spoke again. “You forget one thing, Felicity,” he said, “I like you. A lot. There would never be _nothing_ between us.”

She swallowed hard.

He sighed and shook his head. Standing up, he pulled away from her, “I don’t want you to feel guilty. You don’t have to like me, but….” he gave a frustrated groan, “I care about you, Felicity and I said I wanted to be your friend. I still do. It’s hard when you do things like kiss me,” he ran a hand through his hair, “I think I’m going to sleep in my old room tonight.”

She nodded, watching him leave.

“What the hell is wrong with me?” she whimpered.

Did she like him? Or was he just easy and comforting? She would never know unless she stopped screwing up. God. How many more times was she going to hurt his feelings like that? She didn’t want to use him that time, she knew for sure, but what the hell was she doing? He was right there, so sweet and handsome. She wanted to melt into him.

This was… too much. Too confusing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> p.s - this was not supposed to be angsty.... but then it became angsty so i apologize
> 
> let me know what you think!
> 
> tumblr & twitter: felicityollies


	8. Clarity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i like to call this chapter completely platonic cuddling. 
> 
> dedicated to muslimsmoak, smoakqueenz & alexiablackbriar13 who requested lil spoon oliver ♥

“How did you know you loved dad?” Felicity twirled her finger in the blanket on her mother’s bed.

Donna leaned back in a chair. Her hands sat in her lap, fingers gently interlaced, “Why do you ask?”

“Because this whole marriage thing is confusing.”

“You know back when I was married the times were different. They still went by the old rules. I never met your father until the day we were married. He was charming,” she shrugged, “But neither of us wanted to be married. I do know how you feel, Felicity, even if it doesn’t seem like it.”

She stared at her mother. Donna had never told her these things before.

“My family was bankrupt. We had nothing. It was marry your father or lose everything to war,” she shook her head, “Don’t look at me like that. If we hadn’t married someone would have come to take over the kingdom.”

Felicity sighed. It was similar to her situation. Her kingdom had run out of money, but if her father was able to get well again, he might have been able to save their people and their kingdom from complete bankruptcy, but it was falling onto her shoulders.

“You and Oliver are lucky you had time to get used to each other,” Donna continued, “Noah and I…. it took awhile, but I did love him eventually.”

“How did you know?” she asked again.

“It’s not a matter of knowing…” Donna had a dreamy look in her eyes. Her mother was like that. She could give great words of wisdom when she wanted to, but at heart she was a daydreamer, “It’s a feeling. It’s different for everyone.”

Felicity deflated.

“But honey,” she got up and put her hand on Felicity’s shoulder, “I can see the way you look at him.”

“What does that mean?”

“You might not have liked him before, but there’s something else there now. Stop staying all… locked up. Let him crack you open like a pistachio.”

“Mom,” she whined, “That sounds so wrong.”

“You know I didn’t mean it that way,” and gone was the wise Donna, “But if it helps the bonding process.”

Felicity slid out of bed, “Goodbye mother.”

She hadn’t really seen Oliver since he’d left her alone in their bedroom. Guilt was going to swallow her whole. He cared about her and wanted to make this work, but apparently she was being a hard nut to crack. She pulled bunches of her long purple dress into her hands and marched towards Oliver’s old bedroom. It was late and she knew he wouldn’t be in their shared room again.

She kicked the door with her stiletto gently, “Oliver?”

“What?”

“Can I come in?”

“I guess.”

She sighed, popping the door open. He was already in bed, in his plaid pajama pants and an old t-shirt. She closed the door and moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

“I want to talk to you,” she said quietly.

“About what?”

She swallowed thickly, staring down at her hands. Felicity’s feelings were a jumbled mess, but she wanted to work on them. She wanted to understand. All she knew was that her mother was right. There was something there, something she felt for Oliver, and it wasn’t complete and utter loathing. No, she cared about him too. If she didn’t she wouldn’t have been sitting next to him, worried about his hurt feelings.

At least there was that. One worry thrown out the door. If she was pulled to him just because he was easy and comforting, she wouldn’t find herself wanting to comfort him too. She had to like him at least somewhat. Love… that was another thing.

“Felicity?”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, “You have been so kind and understanding lately. You’ve been trying to make this easier on me… and I keep toying with you. I don’t mean to. I swear I don’t. That’s why I’m here apologizing. I never wanted to hurt you.”

He was quiet for what seemed like an eternity. Her heart beat loudly in her ears. When he finally spoke, she let go of the breath she didn’t realize she was holding.

“Thank you.”

She nodded, but she didn’t think he saw. A few more heartbeats of silence passed.

“Can I lay with you….”

“Yeah,” he said softly.

She kicked off her shoes and climbed into bed. He stayed facing away from her, but that was okay. She remembered the night of their wedding and decided to return the favor. Her arm wrapped around his middle. She pulled his back against her chest and gently slipped her leg between his. He let out a shaky breath, but relaxed against her. She closed her eyes and pressed her cheek against his shoulder. Her hand rest against his chest, right above his heart. After a couple of moments he put his hand over hers.

“I like you, Oliver. Maybe not as strongly as you like me, but I do like… and care about you,” she whispered.

He sighed and squeezed her hand, “That’s okay.”

“Are you sure?”

“I don’t want to force you to do anything. I think enough people have done that…”

“Seriously, you’re so grown up.”

He chuckled, “I’ve been trying.”

Felicity hugged him tightly.

* * *

Oliver had to admit that he had been hurt. He really liked Felicity, but he was falling for her a lot faster than he thought was even possible. She was smart, funny, beautiful, and he couldn’t get enough of her. When she went back and forth with him, it put his heart into knots. He spent the entire day miserable and avoiding her. Part of him wanted to stay in his old room, alone, and away from everything else. Who cared if he was twenty-two? Who cared if he was the king? He was allowed to hide sometimes.

But now, lying in bed with Felicity wrapped around him, he felt a sense of contentment he didn’t think he had ever felt before. Her warmth enveloped him. She made him feel safe and at least a little wanted.

She did like him. Just not as much as he liked her. That was okay, he could work with that. He could make her happy and prove to her that this marriage would work.

“I like this.”

“Hmmm,” she hummed.

“This,” he tapped her arm.

“Oh,” she giggled and hugged him tight again, “I like this too. You’re like a freaking space heater,” she nuzzled her face into his back.

“So, maybe I could move back to our room?”

“I would like that,” she mumbled.

They were both quiet for a moment or two.

“I don’t want to move,” she said.

“Me neither.”

He closed his eyes and relaxed even further against her. This was going to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!
> 
> tumblr & felicity: felicityollies


	9. Open Your Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _open your heart to meeeee, baby i hold the lock and you hold the key  
>  open your heart to me, darlin' i'll give you love if you, you turn the key...._ that was going through my head while i was thinking about writing this chapter and it ended up making a good title soooo here we are
> 
> anyway, i’m very seriously working on ending this soon. I went backwards through my fics and I’m slowly working my way through the oldest fics and this happens to be my oldest unfinished fic. - if u go through them yourself you'll figure out what's coming next wink wink nudge nudge

Felicity sat on her throne. They were no longer in Starling, but in her home of Misthaven. She and Oliver had spoken to some of her people, listened to their worries, but now she sat alone in the large room. It barely seemed like her home anymore. It had been so long since she had been there. But she knew every inch of this castle. From the white and silver marble floors to the matching walls and the stone pillars. Magnificent velvet drapes in a rich royal purple decorated the walls. A crystal chandelier hung down in the middle of the room. It sparkled like the expensive jewel it was. At one time candles had sat upon it and it was lit every day, but it had been brought up to times with electricity.

She leaned into the throne, there was one beside her, which was Oliver’s, but he was off doing something else; probably unpacking since they would be there for a week or so. She didn’t mind a little time alone.

The chairs were both mahogany with a white finish; they stood tall with intricate patterns carved into the back and along the arm. The arms to the front legs were carved in the shape of a lion. Courageous and honorable. The cushions were a soft silver velvet, making the chairs match the rest of the room. Felicity slung her legs over one side of the chair, leaving them bare while her green and silver dress fell to the side.

Movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. She tilted her head and saw Oliver coming into the room with his hands behind his back. Her brows furrowed.

“Why are you giving me that look?” he asked.

“What are you up to?”

He presented a dark red rose to her so close to her face she almost went cross-eyed. She took it from him, giving it a little sniff.

“You were wandering the gardens,” she said, “I thought I was supposed to show you around.”

“Hurt?” he asked.

“No,” she mumbled, looking away from his penetrating gaze.

“I didn’t go too far,” he said, “We can still go on a tour.”

She didn’t want to admit it, but she was looking forward to showing Oliver around the gardens and the rest of the castle. He was her friend, and her husband yes, but she wanted to show him she was trying to make this work with him. They had been doing well, so far. Ever since their little cuddle session, they had been sharing the bed and most mornings she woke up snuggled up into him. It was a nice feeling to have someone there. They spent everyday together, whether that meant their royal duties or hiding away on the castle grounds or in town.

But this was the first time they had traveled alone. No Moira, Donna had decided to stay behind this one time to give them privacy, and that left them with their staff and bodyguards. Virtually alone.

Was she nervous? Maybe. But at the same time she knew she had nothing to worry about with Oliver. He cared about her and dammit she admitted she cared about him. She couldn’t let her sadness hold her back forever. Her father wouldn’t want that.

“Well,” he held out his hand for her.

She moved into an upright sitting position and took his hand. He slowly brought her hand to his lips, placing a quick and gentle kiss to it. His eyes met hers as his lips brushed her hand. She felt a subtle warmth spread in her chest. He did that to her; she didn’t know how or why, but somehow he made her feel warm and made her want to smile.

She stood, holding her flower in her other hand. He straightened and they walked hand in hand out of the throne room and into the corridor. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He truly was handsome. She knew for a fact she was attracted to him and part of her knew her heart was following suit.

The little boy with hardly any manners, the brat who thought he could have whatever he wanted, disappeared and grew into a man who was worthy of her heart. The loss of her father and the forced wedding made it difficult to see anything good in the situation, but he was there. He was her friend and he made sure she was okay.

At some point her sneaking glance became a stare and he caught her looking. Instead of teasing her, he simply smiled.

He led her out of the castle and onto the path towards the gardens. Stone curved around into a magnificent sight of flowers and other plants. Rose bushes lined the path. The same dark red color she held in her hand. Fruit trees blossomed along the outer edges. As the path continued it spread into different turns. More shrubs and flowers of all different colors. White lilies, yellow carnations, pink peonies, and bluebells bright as their name implies.

The sun was setting over the gardens, creating an orange and pink haze over the flowers.

“It’s beautiful,” he said.

“It’s one of my favorite places.”

“I remember you hiding out in the gardens back in Starling,” he continued, “But I don’t think the sun hits them quite like this.”

“No, but it’s okay.”

She squeezed his hand and pulled him further along the pathway. The sun continued to fall around them. The orange and pink slowly became purple and dark blue. Stars sparkled across the sky. She stopped walking as the moon filled the garden with just enough light. It shown down on them, so when he turned to look at her his eyes seemed to shine. His baby blues were like soft diamonds.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered as she thought the same of him.

A pink blush settled in her cheeks. His hand came up to brush against them. Standing there under the moonlight, in her favorite place, with someone she had come to trust and care about… it was almost magical. Silly of her to think so. The princess and the prince have a magical moment as if they were in a fairytale. But that’s how she felt. Like she could fall into his arms and the world would be okay.

“Oliver,” she whispered, leaning into his touch.

“Yes?”

“May I kiss you? A real kiss. Not a I’m sad kiss, but a really serious I want to-”

He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. She figured mostly to quiet her, but she didn’t mind. The rose fell from her hand as she leaned into him. Her now free hand pressed into his chest. She melted into him. His sweet kiss. The way he gently kissed her lower lip and cradled the back of her head.

She pulled back and let out a shaky breath, “Wow.”

“I agree, but… what brought this on.”

“These past couple weeks you’ve been so wonderful. You didn’t have to be after I hurt you, but I’ve loved spending time with you. Learning about the books you like and your other interests,” she bit her lip, “And sharing the bed with you.”

She felt her cheeks go from pink to red immediately. The smirk on his face didn’t help.

“I meant I like the cuddling and company.”

“I know,” he said, “But it’s fun when you get flustered.”

He cupped both her cheeks, eliciting a soft sigh from her lips. Oliver pecked her lips gently. She put her hands on top of his and looked up into his eyes.

“I just don’t want to hurt you again, Oliver… and I don’t want to get hurt either.”

“We’ll take it slow… as slow as a married couple can.”

She giggled, “Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know what you think!
> 
> tumblr & twitter: felicityollies


	10. Come Away with Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> enjoy the fluff as an apology for all the angst recently <3

Oliver let out the slowest of breaths. The truth was he didn’t really want to take things slowly with Felicity. He would, but he wanted more than anything to dive in head first. To lose himself in her and admit just how much he had grown to care for her. It wasn’t fair to ask that of her, so he wouldn’t. He would force himself to be patient.

Some days he really wondered how he ended up being so mature. He also wondered if acknowledging the maturity detracted from it or not.

Sighing, he looked down at a rose he had plucked. He held it carefully as not to prick himself with a thorn. The petals were soft and red, they reminded him of Felicity’s lips. He rest the flower against his mouth, it wasn’t as soft as hers, but it smelled so sweet. Oliver sighed into the petals.

He was grateful for the chance he was being given. Felicity didn’t have to give him one at all. They could have spent the rest of their lives in a loveless marriage and there would have been nothing he would have been able to do about it. He was getting a real chance and he could be more than a little patient.

“There’s something weirdly handsome about this image,” Felicity said, walking towards him.

He pulled the rose away from his face and turned towards her, “Oh?”

“Mhmm, rough jeans, t-shirt, button up shirt… blue which you know makes your eyes pop,” he smirked, “Standing here looking all nice with your rose.”

“Your rose,” he handed it to her.

“You’re forgiven for all your handsomeness,” she waved at him with her free hand.

He grinned. His eyes moved over her; he’d asked her to dress casually that day. Though, part of him disagreed on her interpretation of casual. She wore a rich purple dress, the color of the lilacs which grew nearby. It had a heart cut out at her chest and was rather short. She matched it with a pair of three inch heels. He most certainly wasn’t complaining about her attire, but he argued the casualness of it.

“You’re staring,” she mumbled with the rose near her lips and nose.

“Can’t help it,” he shrugged nonchalantly, “It’s only natural to be taken in by such beauty.”

She laughed and shoved him in the shoulder. Her laugh was truly one of his favorite things.

“Should we go?” he held out his hand for hers.

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“How are you going to surprise me in my own country?”

“Very carefully.”

He started to lead her through the gardens again. They walked all the way through them, hand in hand. He squeezed her hand gently, running his thumb over her knuckles. His eyes stayed mostly on her the entire time. The sun was still high in the sky, shining down on her. It caught her golden ponytail just right, making it look that much more like the straw that had been spun into silky gold. She smiled up at him; he would never get tired of seeing her smile.

He kept going when the gardens ended and they reached a forested area. Vast and green. The sound of birds flying through the trees and animals scurrying on the ground met their ears.

Felicity’s smile faltered momentarily as she gave him a confused look.

“Trust me,” he said and tugged her forward.

She stayed closer to him, presumably afraid to tumble in the woods. He resisted the urge to tell her he had warned her to wear casual clothing. In his opinion, that meant sneakers. When she did stumble, he caught her and held her close.

“Are you okay?”

She steadied herself, leaning into his side, “Yeah.”

He got an idea. Carefully, he stepped away from her and leaned down on his knees, “Get up,” he glanced back at her, “C’mon.”

She seemed hesitant, but finally climbed onto his back. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her legs around his waist. He was careful when he gripped onto her leg; he didn’t want to accidentally go too high and cop a feel.

“Thank you,” she mumbled near his ear.

“Welcome,” he continued towards their destination, leaves and twigs crunching beneath his sneakers.

“Wow,” she whispered as Oliver slowed.

Ahead of them lay a sparkling stream. Beside it a blanket and a basket on a small patch of green grass. A large oak tree shaded the area, but enough sun shone through to keep the warmth and give the stream its sparkle. Oliver had spent a couple days looking for a perfect spot for them to picnic. Several early mornings walking around the castle grounds before Felicity had even gotten out of bed. He’d actually started enjoying those early morning walks.

He let her down and watched as she walked towards their picnic.

“I was hoping this could be a kind of first date,” he mumbled almost shyly.

“I love it,” she beamed up at him, “You have successfully surprised me.”

Oliver matched her beaming smile. He sat down on the blanket and held his hand up to her to help her down onto the ground. She sat, curling her legs underneath her.

“This place is beautiful,” she glanced around.

He opened the basket and pulled small vase from inside for her rose.

She giggled, “You’ve thought of everything.”

“I tried.”

He began pulling treats from within the basket; chocolate covered strawberries, breads and cheese, and a bottle of champagne. He wanted this date to be really fancy. Oliver wasn’t used to really wining and dining ladies. When he flirted with women before, he got away with the bare minimum because he was a prince, but Felicity was different. Beside the fact they were married, he wanted her to feel special.

He poured her a small flute of champagne before doing the same for himself.

“Hmm,” she hummed thoughtfully, “To second chances,” she raised her glass to his.

Oliver’s heart stuttered in his chest. He clicked his against hers, “To second chances.”

They both took a sip.

“Oh, that’s really good,” she downed the rest of it.

He realized she probably didn’t drink very much, “Let’s not have too much of that,” he laughed.

“Psh,” she waved him off.

“Strawberry?” he offered her the plate instead.

“You know just the way to a girl’s heart,” said it, but immediately paused and blushed.

“It’s okay,” he assured her, “Just enjoy.”

“Thank you,” she plucked a berry from the plate and brought it to her lips.

He tried to ignore the way her pink lips wrapped around the large strawberry. Now was not the time for those kinds of thoughts. He shook his head and ate a strawberry of his own.

“These are really good too,” she wiped some of the juices from her chin.

He took a gulp of champagne and poured himself another glass when she wasn’t looking.

“I’m glad.”

Oliver was frustrated with himself. Felicity was beautiful and sexy, but he could get through a date without visualizing a million things he should not be visualizing. He could enjoy this quiet and casual evening with her. This was about her. He wanted her to be happy. That was what was important to him. Not sex.

He downed his second glass of champagne and poured them both another glass. The warmth of the alcohol was starting to hit him. He accepted it gratefully.

“Are you going to let me eat all the food by myself?” she asked, having moved on to the cheese and bread.

There were a couple strawberries left.

“I could,” he laughed.

She smacked him, “Eat.”

He smirked and picked up some of the snacks. They shared the food and the rest of the champagne. When the bottle was empty and every morsel was gone, he was feeling very warm and fuzzy.

He sighed and leaned into her.

“Were you sneaking drinks when I wasn’t looking?”

“Maybe,” he giggled.

“Mhmmm.”

She guided him down until his head was in her lap. Her fingers moved through his hair. He closed his eyes for a moment just enjoying her gentle touch.

“I’m glad we did this,” she said.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she sighed contently, “Away from everyone. Just us. It’s been nice and quiet… and I don’t feel like I have to work so hard, you know what I mean?”

“I always feel like that with you,” the alcohol was making him braver.

“You do?”

“You make things easier. I can talk to you, spend time with you, and I don’t have to pretend to be someone else…. I can just be me,” he opened his eyes and looked up at her.

Oliver realized with a start why he had fell into this role so easily. That boy who fooled around, who was determined to be anything but a mature adult was somebody else. He thought that was what he wanted. That he couldn’t be this person who ruled an entire kingdom, who was tied down to a woman he had never met, but he was wrong. Felicity helped him see that. He helped him by needing help.

His heart pounded rapidly. He loved her; he loved Felicity so much, but she didn’t love him back. He couldn’t say it to her.

“You have a million things going on with your face,” she cupped his cheek.

“I’m okay,” he said, turning into her touch, “I’m just grateful you came into my life even if the way was crappy.”

She started to lean down towards him. He leaned upward on his elbows to meet her lips for a gentle kiss. His heart hurt with unsaid words. His hands ached to touch her, but he would wait. He would be patient. It was the only option he had. He had all the time in the world after all.

Felicity pulled back and looked into his eyes, “You definitely taste like champagne.”

He chuckled and lie back in her lap, “Maybe we should stay here a bit longer then.”

“You just want me to play with your hair.”

“It feels nice.”

“A cat. You are a cat, Oliver,” she said, though she ran her fingers through his hair anyway.

This wasn’t the first time they had ended up in this position. In bed at night, in the library while they were reading, and even between meetings in the throne room. Somehow it was comforting for both of them.

“You like it too,” he mumbled, closing his eyes again.

“I do. It’s one of those nice quiet things….” she trailed off and stayed silent for a couple seconds, “I’m glad you came into my life too.”

“Good.”

“I’ve been thinking.”

“Yeah?”

“Maybe we should do something to get everyone’s spirit up,” she said.

“What do you mean?”

“Well… the king is dead,” she tried to keep her voice steady, “The kingdom hasn’t been has…. successful lately, but we’re here now… fixing it, so maybe we should do something… celebratory?”

“Like what?”

“A ball.”

“You want to throw a ball for the entire kingdom?”

Felicity paused for a moment, “I do.”

“Then let’s do it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know what you think!
> 
> tumblr: felicityollies  
> twitter: felicityollies
> 
> i'm just gonna say if i was a bad person there would be a masturbation chapter because _someone_ is a frustrated bean, but i'm pretty sure this fic isn't gonna hit explicit....


	11. A Piece of Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [clears throat] so I’ve been planning this bit for awhile and all i have to say is i love you all so much <3

There was a lot more effort into planning a ball than Felicity originally thought. She didn’t regret the idea, but she did wonder if she had a momentary lapse in sanity. Weeks of work went into planning. Between invitations, food, decorations, and security measures it felt like she and Oliver had every detail figured out. They might as well have been planning a second wedding. It wouldn’t have been too bad if they didn’t also have to run back and forth between kingdoms, dealing with their other duties.

Part of her felt bad they were having a ball in Misthaven and not Starling, but they would have time to have another one. It felt important to have a celebration in Misthaven. It was not only she who had lost her father, but the kingdom too. The people mourned nearly as much as she did. They had seen hardships for the past few years, but they had been loyal to the king and queen. Her parents were kind and fair people. The ball was meant to bring happiness to the kingdom again, to celebrate her father’s life, and to introduce the people to their new king and queen.

For Felicity it was even more than that.

Over the past few weeks, she’d grown fonder of Oliver. Whether they were arguing over which finger foods to serve or simply hiding away from their responsibilities in his crow’s nest in the library. The feelings she harbored for him were stronger. She knew she cared about him, but she could feel the attachment becoming something more. The time they spent together was her favorite part of the day. The sweet kisses they shared sent a thrill through her; she wanted more.

She’d spent the last week teasing him about what she was going to wear that night at the ball. Red like the roses he so often gave to her and just as soft. But she never mentioned if the actual dress was red or what was underneath it. Felicity wasn’t sure if she was ready to say those three words yet. She didn’t know if she could open her heart that completely, but she knew she was ready to give herself over to him in a different way. Sex did not mean that four letter word, but maybe soon.

Felicity stood in front of her mirror, alone, for the first time in a while. She inspected the lingerie. Also, her first time ever in a piece of lingerie. It was the blood red of a rose as she had told Oliver. Strapless, but it supported her breasts perfectly. Her torso was covered in floral lace, transparent enough to show skin. It led to a piece which matched the opaque top and covered her front and most of her butt. Just a peak of her cheeks through the soft fabric. She was pleased with the way it looked if only a little self-conscious.

The dress for the evening hung near the mirror. It had a black top with little silver crystals encrusted throughout, mimicking the night sky. The black bled into dark purples and blues. More sky like quality. She slid it on her body and with only mild difficulty, pulled up the zipper. The lower half of the dress bloomed out like a ball gown, but it had a gentleness to it when she moved, like the petals of a flower. When she shifted the colors of the bottom melted into each other, changing before her eyes. The sky as the colors seeped into night. She matched it with dark pumps a few inches high. They wouldn’t bring her nearly to Oliver’s height, but at least she wouldn’t be talking to his shoulder the entire night.

“You look beautiful,” Nyssa’s voice startled her.

She put a hand to her heart, “Good lord, please tell me you just got here.”

“Indeed. Extra security has been put into place.”

“I don’t see why that’s necessary,” Felicity smoothed out her skirt.

“It is only a precaution.”

She rolled her eyes, “If you say so.”

“Your handmaidens are waiting for you to help you finish getting ready.”

“Thank you.”

“When you arrive, I will keep a close watch as always,” Nyssa bowed her head.

“Not too closely I hope.”

Nyssa stared at her with those burning eyes. She squirmed a little.

“I have no intention of watching you and your husband copulate.”

Felicity blushed until her cheeks were as red as the lingerie, “You said you weren’t in here earlier.”

“I spoke the truth.”

“Then how?”

“I know you, Felicity,” she said, stepping closer, “I can see your heart hanging from your sleeve and the curiosity in your gaze.”

Felicity swallowed thickly.

“You are a grown woman who can make her own decisions, but it is still my job to protect you. If he harms you in anyway… I will return the favor.”

“He won’t. I know he’ll be gentle.”

A look of disgust crossed Nyssa’s face. Felicity couldn’t stifle the laugh that erupted from her throat.

“This conversation was bound to become awkward,” she muttered.

“You started it.”

“And you have finished it,” Nyssa said, “But I still leave you with this… be safe.”

She made a quiet retching noise as she left the room, disappearing off to where ever it was she hid. Felicity’s handmaidens swarmed her immediately. She barely had a moment to think when she was drowned in makeup and bobby pins. Her hair was pinned back in a loose bun, letting a few curls fall around her face. The makeup was soft and delicate, shimmering eyes and pink lips. The finishing touch was her crown placed gently on top of her head. She hoped Oliver thought she was as beautiful as she felt.

The ballroom slowly filled with people. She slipped in unseen; she wanted it that way. It was a game for Oliver. He was supposed to find her. The room itself was grand. It was like the throne room, done in silver, white, and rich purples, but much larger. There were delicate filigree climbing up the walls, twisting floral vines. Instead of marble, the floor was a glittering tile in both silver and white. Decorative Pillars stood on either side of the room. They had been decorated themselves with velvet drapes. Waiters dressed in white tuxedos walked around with silver trays with delicious finger sandwiches, fruits, vegetables, and other more indulgent treats. Waitresses in sparkling silver dresses carried champagne. 

Soft music played by a small orchestra filled the room. It was amazing. Happy chatter and a beautiful melody. She couldn’t ask for more.

Well, she would like to see her husband.

She walked through the crowd, receiving a few bows and gracious greetings. In return she gave smiles and nods, happy to see her people happy. For a moment, though, she worried when she couldn’t find Oliver. He was supposed to find her, but she was being impatient.

Her eyes scanned the crowd until finally, she spotted him. Tall and magnificent. He stood a few feet away from her in a black tuxedo. From where she stood, she could see silver filigree sewn into the lapel of his tux. A silver vest and matching tie underneath. And of course, a red rose sat in his breast pocket. His attire was a surprise to her too and she was glad. He was stunning. His slightly unruly brown hair had been somewhat tamed, so his bejeweled crown sat upon it. She felt her mouth go dry and her heart stutter in her chest. Places a little lower were paying attention too.

His eyes met hers. He stared for a full thirty seconds before he pushed himself towards her. His hand reached out to touch, but he hesitated as if she were too fragile to touch.

“You’re… You’re the most beautiful woman I have ever seen,” he whispered.

“And you the most handsome man,” she replied.

“I’m being serious,” he said.

“So am I.”

He leaned in and kissed her gently. Her breath caught in her throat. It was just a kiss, but it felt like magic. Tonight, was the night she was sure of it.

“You decided not to wear red,” he mumbled against her lips.

“Maybe,” she pecked his lips back.

“Hmmm.”

“Well,” her mother’s shrill voice filled the room, “If the king and queen would detach themselves from one another,” she giggled.

Felicity blushed and pulled away from Oliver.

“I regret inviting her.”

“You know she had to be here,” he said.

“I would like to introduce you all to your new king and queen. Oliver and Felicity.” 

Everyone looked at them. Every eye in the room was for she and Oliver. The applause was thunderous, and she felt she was doing the right thing. Her kingdom meant the world to her. She wanted nothing more than for Misthaven and Starling to thrive again.

“Now let’s dance!” Oliver’s voice rang out above all the noise.

“Do you even dance?” Felicity asked.

“No,” he laughed, “But I will for you… if you want.”

“Don’t step on my toes.”

“I promise… I will try.”

He put one hand on her waist and held her hand with the other. Her free hand went to his shoulder. She smiled as she looked into his baby blue eyes. The rest of the room slowly melted away as they moved together. It could barely be considered a dance, it was more like swaying gently together, but she didn’t mind. Really, it was perfect.

The music wrapped around her and Oliver. It was just them and the sweet symphony. She wanted to lose herself in him. What was stopping her? It would be so easy to fall into him and let him catch her. To let him embrace her with all that warmth he offered her. But there was still some part of her that was scared to let go completely.

“I love you, Felicity,” he whispered.

She startled at his words.

“Please, don’t say anything yet. I know… I told you we would take this slow, but it’s been eating at me for weeks. I love you and I needed to say that. You’re the most important person in my life.”

“Okay.”

Now it really was up to her. He said it. He really said. She already knew on some level, but he said those three words.

“Don’t look so scared,” he took her hand and kissed it gently.

“I’m not… it’s just… I’ve been thinking about our relationship and where I want to take it,” she said.

“Yeah?” he asked almost breathlessly.

“I just don’t want you to be disappointed,” she looked away from his gaze.

“Nothing you say could disappoint me, I promised to be patient and I am,” he said, “I shouldn’t have said it… that wasn’t fair.”

“No, it’s okay. You have every right to tell me how you feel.”

“What about you? What did you want to tell me?”

“It seems so lame now.”

“Nothing you could say is lame.”

She sighed, “I was going to say-“

“King Oliver!” someone shouted behind him.

Oliver turned, but Felicity couldn’t see what was happening. She tried to look past Oliver, but he pushed her back, using his body as a shield.

“I will not bow to a false king!”

Oliver gasped and stumbled back into her. Screams filled the room as well as shouts from security. Everything else seemed to happen so quickly. He started to fall back. Felicity took him in her arms the best she could. He was so much larger than he was it was difficult, but she somehow managed to get him to the ground in her lap.

Oliver looked up at her with wide and confused eyes. His hand pressed to his chest where a small arrow protruded. Blood poured out around his hand, staining his skin and the silver. The corner of his mouth showed a line of blood.

It took her brain a moment to register everything she was seeing. It was like her mind didn’t want to know what was happening. It didn’t want to see.

“No,” she choked out, “Oliver, you can’t.”

“I thought he was gonna hurt you,” he coughed, his body shaking on top of hers.

“You can’t leave me,” she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks, “You can’t leave me too.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, “I love you.”

“Shut up, you don’t talk like that. You don’t talk like that ever.”

Medics hurried into the room and started to take him from her. She watched him get carried away, but her mind didn’t understand. Oliver was hurt. He was bleeding out. There was an arrow through his chest. She felt herself going numb. Everything around her became a blur. People talking to her became nonsense.

“He came in with the other servers. Palm sized crossbow. He had to get close,” she barely remembered someone telling her this.

She barely remembered screaming back, “How the hell did he get that close in the first place!?”

Everything was wrong. Oliver could be lost to her and she had been too chicken shit to say anything. God dammit, she did love him. She did. What if she never got a chance to say it now? Felicity wrapped her arms around herself and let her back slide down a wall outside the infirmary. She sobbed until her body was shaking. If he died, she would never forgive herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know what you think!!
> 
> tumblr & twitter: felicityollies


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